Combined picker-stem and cleaner



(NoMqdeL) G; N. TODD. COMBINED PIGKBR STEM AND CLEANER.

No. 423,539. Patented'Mar. 18, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE N. TODD, OF'OHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE TODD COTTONHARVESTER COMPANY, OF ILLINOIS.

COMBINED PICKER-STEM AND CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,539, dated March18, 1890.

Application fi1ed September 14, 1887. Serial No. 249,630. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE N. TODD, a citizen of the United States,residing in Ohicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Picker-Stemsand Cleaners, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to improvements in combined picker-stems andcleaners for cotton-harvesters, in which the stem and cleaner arepermanently connected together and simultaneously projected into thecotton-plant, and has for its prime object to so construct the devicethat the cotton gathered bythe stem while in the bush will beimmediatelystripped therefrom and transferred to the cleaner, from whence it mayafterward be removed in any well-known and convenient manner, wherebygreater speed maybe given the picker-stem in its axial rotation and lessspeed in its movement of translation than in any of the priorconstruct-ions, thereby increasing the effectiveness of thecotton-harvester as a whole. I attain this object by the devicesillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents aside elevation of a picker-stem and cleaner embodying my invention; Fig.2, a transverse section thereof. Similar letters of reference indicatethe same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A represents a portionof thepicker-stem supports mounted in the usual way in acotton-harvester frame for imparting to said stems a movement oftranslation into and through the bushes, so that the stems may firstgather the cotton and afterward have the same removed therefrom whileout of engagement with the plants, and as the particular means forproducing such movements do not form a part of this invention, and asthe operation of these machines is so well understood, I do not deem itnecessary to herein illustrate and describe the same. Screwed orotherwise rigidly secured to this support is the cleaner, consisting ofa frame circular in cross-section and composed of a series of rings ordisks 0, united at the tops and bottoms thereof, respectively, bylongitudinal bars D and E, the latter of which has projecting from oneside thereof between the disks the teeth F, formed concentrically withsaid disks, the entire cleaner-frame, by reason of its rigidconnectionwith the support A, being held in a fixed position at all times relativethereto. Passing axially through said cleaner frame and journaledtherein, or in the support A, is a central shaft G, having abeveled gearH, secured to the inner end thereof, b'y'which a rotary motion isimparted thereto, said shaft being also provided with circumferentialseries of radiallyprojecting teeth I, each series occupying the spacebetween two disks or rings 0, the points thereof lying substantiallyflush with the peripheries of said disks or rings, as clearly shown inFig. 2. I

In practice the combined picker-stem and cleaner is introduced into theplant,'as heretofore stated, the picker-stcm-that is to say, the toothedshaft-having a continuous rotation upon its own axis and about the axisof its support throughout the operation of the machine, as a result ofwhich the teeth of said stem will gather the cotton and deposit it uponthe toothed edge of vthe lower bar of the cleaner, which has a strippingeffect upon said teeth, the accumulated cotton being afterward removedfrom the cleaner, when out of engagement with the plant, by. anysuitablewiper or cleaning device employed for that purpose.

Having described my invention, what I claim,and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. An picking-teeth, and a. movable support'therefor, in combinationwith astationary cleaner attached to and moving with said support,having a toothed bar on one side thereof opposing said teeth, wherebythe cotton will be gathered by the said teeth and stripped therefrom byand deposited on said bar, substantially as described.

2. The movable support and the cleaner rigidly secured thereto, saidclean-er being composed of disks-or rings united at their peripheries bya toothed bar, in combination with the internal revolving shaft carryingcir- H cumferential series of picker-teeth, substantially as described.

I GEORGE N. TODD. Witnesses:

W. W. ELLIOTT, WILL R. OMOHUNDRO.

internal revolving shaft carrying

